DIY Outdoor Loveseat and Sofa

Outdoor furniture is expensive, unless you build your own outdoor sofa and loveseat! This set was less than $200 in lumber and will last forever. I’ve included the free woodworking plans for the DIY outdoor loveseat, which you can customize to fit your space.

There’s nothing better than relaxing on our deck with a good book, listening to the leaves rustling in the breeze. But outdoor furniture is so expensive, we’ve put off buying it for the last two summers. If I had known it was so cheap and easy to build your own outdoor sofa and loveseat, we would have been enjoying them years ago! I’ve put together the plans for my DIY outdoor loveseat, which you can customize to fit your existing cushions.

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Last month I wrote about five options for outdoor sofas I was considering building for our deck. In the end, I went with the first one on my list, with plans by Ana White. The video that goes along with this build shows just how quick and easy this outdoor sofa is to make, which instantly crowned it the winner.

I also loved the simple design and modern lines, which are almost identical to this one I found at Wayfair.

How to Build Your Own Outdoor Loveseat and Sofa

Ana White’s plans called for 24″ x 24″ cushions, but the ones I had were 22″ x 22″, so I had to do a little math to customize my dimensions. You can get the free woodworking plans for this DIY outdoor loveseat by clicking here!

One change I made to the original plans was to use pocket holes whenever possible to increase the strength of the joints. It took a little extra time to drill the pocket holes in each piece with my new Kreg K5 jig, but these couches are rock solid and will take plenty of abuse!

I used weather resistant Blue-Kote Kreg screws for the entire project (even when I wasn’t using pocket holes), so they won’t rust in the rain. I was getting nervous that I would run out of screws towards the end of the project, but I squeaked through with four left in the box. Whew!

I assembled the base and legs of the DIY outdoor loveseat and sofa in my workshop, then brought them up to the deck to put them together. Since I was by myself, I employed a little bit of help from my deck railing to hold the pieces upright for me.

I clamped the base to the leg, which fit perfectly under my deck railing and held it in place while I attached the two pieces. My neighbors probably thought I was crazy, but I didn’t have the sofa falling on my head, so I call that a win!

Want the exact dimensions and instructions for this project? You can get the free woodworking plans by clicking here!

Apply Outdoor Stain to Your DIY Outdoor Loveseat and Sofa

After both the outdoor loveseat and sofa were assembled, it was time to stain. I tested out a few different samples on scrap cedar to help me decide which one would look best with the cushions.

In the end, I chose the darkest color, Behr semi-transparent exterior stain in Coffee (mmm . . . coffee). Don’t be alarmed if the stain in the can looks gray! I was worried that they had tinted it the wrong color at the store, but after testing the color on a scrap piece of cedar, it was perfect. I put down a tarp to protect the deck, and got to work. This step took longer than building them!

Two coats later, I had a rich dark espresso brown color that contrasted nicely with the light colored cushions.

Finding Cushions For Your Outdoor Loveseat and Sofa

Speaking of cushions, they can cost more than the rest of this project put together, so it pays to shop around! I bought these on clearance over the winter from a Pier 1 that was going out of business (these cushions are no longer available, but you can find similar ones here). Inexpensive cushions can be found at places like Target,World Market or even Amazon.

Don’t pass up a good deal on clearanced or yard sale cushions because the print is crazy or the fabric is stained! You can re-cover them with outdoor fabric using a tutorial like this one. You could even make your own cushions with outdoor upholstery foam like these.

Add a few cute throw pillows like these, and you’ve got the perfect outdoor retreat!

Don’t let the cost of outdoor furniture keep you from enjoying your deck or patio! The lumber, screws and stain for both these pieces added up to less than $200. It took about 4 hours to build my own outdoor sofa from start to finish, and the loveseat went even faster. Staining them both took another day, and I could have saved even more time if I had stained the boards before assembly. You could easily finish this project in a weekend and spend the whole summer relaxing on your new outdoor furniture!

Want the exact dimensions and instructions for this project? You can get the free woodworking plans by clicking here!

Want to add an outdoor end table to the set? This DIY outdoor end table with interchangeable planter box and ice bucket is the perfect way to finish it off!

Working alone when my son is at school and my husband is at work has made me get very creative when I need to do something that would normally require two people! My clamps are some of my most important tools, because they’re like another set of hands! Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to comment. I always appreciate it!

What were your dimensions since you used the 22×22 cushions instead? I’m actually having a hard time finding the 24×24 cushions for the original tutorial. Did you just take 2″ off of the inside boards? Sorry if this is a stupid question.

It’s certainly not a stupid question! My cushions were 22×22, and I used two for the loveseat and 3 for the sofa. I took 6 inches off the longest dimensions for the sofa (so the 72 inch cuts were changed to 66 inches). The loveseat was 44 inches. Don’t forget to take 2 inches out of the shorter cuts too, except for the four 25 1/2″ leg pieces. Hope that helps!

The cushions are pretty overstuffed and firm. You could add extra 2×4’s to the back for more support. I usually end up moving the back cushions to the side and using it like a huge pillow so I can lie down and read outside anyway! 🙂

Would you might sharing an update on how these are holding up to the elements? I have a friend who made an outdoor table and bench and within a year it is cracking and warped and looks terrible. What do you recommend sealing it with?

Mine are looking great! One armrest has a small crack in it, because that part is exposed to more rain and direct sun than the rest. I used cedar, which is weather resistant naturally. Then I stained them with an outdoor stain meant for wooden decks, which protected them further. Next summer, I’ll put another coat of stain on the horizontal pieces that have faded slightly, but other than that they’ve been maintenance free!

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